PA 13-279 (SB 1006), Creates more regulatory accountability by requiring state agency staff to disclose the source of their statutory and regulatory authority for permitting and enforcement actions. The new law also requires such disclosure for other restrictions or demands of businesses and property owners. It is intended to prevent "rogue” agency staff from regulating businesses and landowners without specific statutory authority. (HBRA support; effective October 1, 2013).

PA 16-32 (SB 302), AAC the Fiscal Impact of Proposed Legislation and Regulations on Businesses. A pro-business bill the HBRA supported, the final bill addresses the impact analysis state agencies must conduct when proposing new regulations. Effective October 1, 2016, the bill requires agencies to assess a proposed regulation’s impact on small businesses (less than 250 employees) including whether such businesses must 1) create, file or issue additional reports, 2) implement additional record-keeping procedures, 3) provide additional administrative oversight, 4) hire additional employees, 5) hire or contract with additional professionals, such as lawyers, accountants, engineers or inspectors, 6) purchase any product or make any additional capital investment, 7) conduct additional training, audits or inspections, or 8) pay additional taxes and fees. In addition, agencies must also identify whether and to what extent the agency communicated with small businesses or their organizations in developing proposed regulations, and whether and to what extent the regulations provide alternative compliance methods for small businesses. Unfortunately, VETOED by Governor Malloy on May 31, as “overly broad and will place an undue burden on our agencies.” Fortunately, the bill was repassed over his veto by the House and Senate on June 20.

PA 16-58 (HB 5498), AAC Review of Existing Agency Regulations. The HBRA also supported this companion bill to SB 302 (above). It establishes a new process for all state agencies to review existing regulations and provides oversight to the legislature’s standing committees to hold agencies, within the committee’s jurisdiction, accountable for conducting their regulatory reviews. (Effective October 1, 2016).